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Beloved Mahoning County judge remembered as kind and professional

SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter

Published: September 3, 2015

Attorney Albert J. Ortenzio said retired Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas Judge James C. Evans believed, “there was only one way to do things and that was the right way. If someone did not want to abide by that, he asked whoever it was to leave his office,” said Ortenzio, Judge Evans’ longtime friend, legal colleague and business partner. “He was very professional.”

Ortenzio is among many friends and colleagues paying tribute to Judge Evans. The 72-year-old passed away on August 13 while surrounded by family at University Hospitals, Cleveland. 

“I really miss him,” said Ortenzio. “He just retired. I thought he would have a long life in retirement and all of a sudden he became ill.”

“I’ve known Jim since high school,” said former Youngstown Mayor Patrick Ungaro, now Liberty Township administrator. “He was the number one person in my life outside of my family. I feel a real sense of loss.”

Born Nov. 10, 1942 in Youngstown to the late James and Josephine (Buckley) Evans, he graduated from Rayen High School (also known as The Rayen School) in 1960.

“I graduated the year before Jim,” said Ungaro. “Jim was always a bright, easy going guy, quiet and introverted. He was sensible and responsible and he treated everyone fairly even back then.”

Ungaro said when they joined the U.S. Army they were stationed together in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “We were like brothers,” he said.

Judge Evans attended Youngstown State University (YSU) where he got a bachelor’s degree in education and criminal justice in 1971 and a master’s degree in secondary education in 1973. He received his law degree from Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law.

During school, Judge Evans held a variety of jobs, working as an officer with Ohio State Highway Patrol in Medina, Stark and Mahoning counties from 1963 to 1968 and then as a part-time police officer in Canfield. From 1968 to 1970 he worked as a reserve deputy for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and police officer at YSU. 

He also served as the assistant director of security/police and was a criminal justice teacher at YSU from 1970-1973.

It was in 1975 that Judge Evans first met Ortenzio, who was president of The Mahoning County Bar Association at the time.

“I set up an orientation program for young lawyers to explain to them how to set up their law practices and Jim was in that class,” said Ortenzio. “He told me he was looking for office space and I arranged for him to share space with attorney Eugene Fox.

“When attorney Marty Goldberg and I decided to purchase land on Summit Drive in Canfield to design and put up our own building, Jim came in on the deal with us and we became business partners.

“Marty and I had been sharing office space in downtown Youngstown.”

Ortenzio was an early mentor to Judge Evans and the two later worked on cases together.

“Jim was a general practitioner,” said Ortenzio. “He did some criminal and civil law as well as probate. We worked on some probate matters together. Jim was a great lawyer and the type of person who would do anything for anyone who needed help. He mentored young lawyers and gave them guidance.”

Goldberg, who focused on medical malpractice and products liability, said back when Judge Evans was an attorney, the two served as co-counsel on a few personal injury cases. 

“We were also real estate partners,” said Goldberg. “We bought the property where the office was built and some property on Lake Milton. Jim and Al bought me out when I moved to California in 2005.

“I would still see Jim whenever I came back to Ohio,” said Goldberg. “We were friends and I helped mentor him early in his career.

“He was a very good lawyer,” said Goldberg. “He was very thorough and I thought he did a good job for his clients. I did go before him when he was judge before I moved to California and I found him to be fair and even-handed.”

“I was the bailiff for Judge Clyde Osborne in the common pleas court when Jim began practicing law,” said Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas Judge R. Scott Krichbaum. “At one point, Jim would stop by every Monday at Judge Osborne’s court and we would hang out.

 ”We attended a lot of Bar functions together and later he and I attended seminars together as common pleas judges. 

“He was a very good lawyer and a man of great, but dry humor,” said Judge Krichbaum. “He was a bit of a practical joker and always had his tongue in his cheek.”

In addition to his law practice, Judge Evans was an elected Jackson Township trustee from 1990 to 1995 and served as chairman in 1994. He became a county court judge in 1995, a spot which he held until he was elected to the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas in 1999.

“When Jim ran for common pleas court judge I managed his campaign,” said Ortenzio. “I was secretly hoping he would lose so that he would not leave our office.

“Although we remained friends, I never appeared before him because of our business association.”

“I had the pleasure of presiding over a civil case Jim tried in my court when I was first elected to the common pleas court,” said Judge Krichbaum. “He did wonderfully. He was very passionate, competent and served his client well. 

“Jim Evans was a very special guy. This is a great loss for our community.”

Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Robert Milich got to know Judge Evans while assistant law director for the city of Youngstown. 

“Jim was a lawyer at the time,” said Judge Milich. “He was highly professional with a low-key attitude. He knew how to deal with people.

“He became a county court judge and when I was appointed municipal court judge, he gave me training to help get me started.”

Outside of the courtroom, the two were also friends, meeting regularly on Fridays with others from the courthouse at St. Stanislaus church in Youngstown for Pierogis.

 “It is a Polish church and the ladies always prepare Pierogis on Friday. We both loved Pierogis,” said Judge Milich.

 “He was an outstanding individual and he had a great reputation as a judge and lawyer.”

Judge Evans retired from the bench in October 2014 and was then appointed to the Ohio Ethics Commission by Gov. John Kasich. 

He was a member of the American and Ohio State Bar associations as well as The Mahoning County Bar Association, where he was president from 1987 to 1988. Judge Evans was also a member of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Trial Lawyers Association and the Mahoning-Trumbull Trial Lawyers Association.

Judge Evans, who was living in Canfield prior to his death, was a former director of the Canfield Fair board. He was also a member of many local organizations, including the Austintown Rotary Club, the Mahoning County Township Association and the YSU Alumni Association.

In 2014, Judge Evans was inducted into the Mahoning County Democrats Hall of Fame. 

“Jim and I went different ways in our careers, but we maintained our friendship,” said Ungaro. “He helped me when I ran for mayor and he was my unpaid legal advisor when I was dealing with the serious mafia problems in Youngstown. I helped him when he ran for judge.

 “When we got married our families would socialize with each other,” said Ungaro. “Unfortunately we both had sons die around the same time. 

“We tried to help one another through it. Jim had a harder time talking about it than I did. I don’t think he ever fully came back from that (losing his son).

“The two of us did have one hell of a journey together though, filled with many great experiences,” said Ungaro. 

A service celebrating Judge Evans’ life took place on August 18 at Lane Family Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel.

He leaves behind his wife, Darla (Cessna Cuculich) Evans; his children, Jamie Evans Gady of New Middletown, Bonnie Cuculich of Poland, Zach Cuculich of Canfield and Heidi Cuculich of Canfield; his grandchildren, Jordan and Jillian Gady, and Julia and Maverick Evans; his sister, Dee (Dennis) Lyne of Kalamazoo, Michigan and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to his parents, Judge Evans was preceded in death by his son John D. Evans and his brother John Evans.


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